Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada with National Cancer Prevention Month.
It’s fascinating how often cancer comes up in our conversations these days; what with one in three women nowadays developing the disease (I can’t believe it). And I still have more than a year to go before I can be declared cancer free. I just had a PET scan and blood work done and so far, so good. I am very grateful I’ve come this far and I have my husband, my family and friends to thank for it – not to mention the amazing grace of God.
There are some days, though, when my continuing treatment – especially the side effects of this daily anti-cancer medication that I’m on – really gets to me. It makes me so stiff and sore. Add that to the normal challenge of dealing with chronic pain and quadriplegia and… whew… there are days when I open the front door and before I wheel out, I just sit there for a long moment breathing deeply before I go into the day. Honestly, I'm not kidding. Just getting into the day can be hard. Jesus was right when He said, “In this world you will have trouble.”
And you know what helps me face the day? First Peter chapter 2, verse 21 says this, “To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.” So then, I take the advice of Hebrews where I'm told to consider Jesus who endured so much so that I might not lose heart. Friend, when I look at the day like this, when I employ God's Word like that, His marvelous peace that passes all human understanding; it absolutely safeguards me, and keeps me from falling, from emotionally throwing in the towel. God was the one who preserved me through that cancer! He is the one who gives me the courage to face pain. God is the one who gives me the grace to live life without use of my hands or legs. And the same is true for you. We Christians have been so infected by our culture of comfort that we forget that it is through many hardships that we must enter the kingdom of God – that’s what it says in the book of Acts. If Jesus bore a cross that was painful, should we expect less?
So I'm going to ask you today, friend – do you feel like God has piled on way too much? Do you feel overwhelmed by your problems – near the point of emotional defeat? Well, draw encouragement from a verse that has inspired me through the toughest of times, whether battling pain, or the side effects of battling cancer or my quadriplegia. It’s Hebrews chapter 10 and it says to anyone who is fainthearted, “… do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.” And, oh, what He has promised—our sufferings in this world aren't even worth comparing (oh, my goodness no) with the glories that lay right on heaven's horizon.
So today, friend, persevere – that’s the key word! Hang in there and endure. And by the way, if you still feel a little fearful about facing your hardships, don’t forget to stop by my radio page at joniandfriends.org and ask for your booklet “Breaking the Bonds of Fear.” Remember it’s National Cancer Prevention Month and you may know someone struggling with this disease; or someone dealing with chronic pain; or someone who is battling fears and anxieties. This free booklet is just the remedy – and I know the biblical insights will really bolster their spirits. So don’t forget, we’ll look for you later on my radio page today at joniandfriends.org.
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